WHY AM I SO THIRSTY?
By Valerie Lunden, MA

If you haven't seen the movie Batman Returns then you're missing out on a super flick. In this latest rendition, Gotham City (and Batman), are battling the evil water-zapper, a high tech machine that evaporates water. As you might imagine this becomes a significant problem for our caped crusader, who realizes early in the plot that water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body, and that the fate of the human race now rests in his bat gloves.

Batman’s problems could mirror our own, water is elemental to life. Even explorers who get lost in deserts rely more on water supplies then food rations for survival. But if consuming water is so critical to humanity then why don't we take it more seriously?

For those die-hard folks who can't abide the taste, flavor and texture of water, well this is not too difficult an argument. Drinking water is purported to have no taste, flavor or texture. Maybe this is the point. Flavorless and tasteless - why even bother drinking the stuff?

As significant as the menu during any dining experience, water could be considered a relevant part of any meal. Much like a punctual dinner guest (we hate those, don’t we?), water is often the first to arrive at the table and the last to leave. Let's not forget that water is also one of the only FREE items in the restaurant (not counting the ketchup, steak sauce, and sugar packets).

Whether the water arrives plain, iced, or with lemon, there seems to be an unspoken message being passed along regarding the relevance and necessity of water in our diet. But again, why do other beverages rank higher? Is it more fashionable to order something else when water is without a doubt the best choice?

Well, whatever the reasons for water-disdain, even our forefathers never knew drinking H20 was key to longevity and on-going health. They didn’t even know that the standard drinking requirement is 8 (8 oz) glasses of water a day (as most nutritionists and commercial diets recommend).

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, water serves as a lubricant and is the basis of saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Water also regulates body temperature through perspiration. It even helps prevent constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract. In short, we must have water for proper circulation and to avoid chronic ill health. Are you convinced to drink more? Not yet!

Here's something else to consider. If surveyed, how many of us drink eight glasses a day? And those of us who drink other more fashionable beverages: do those count as far as the daily requirement is concerned?

Perhaps a thought to keep in mind here is that the body recognizes consumed beverages (other than water), as foods that need digesting. Beverages like coffee, (lattes, espressos, etc.), tea (hot and cold), soda and wine often have more then one ingredient, so the body identifies them as digestible foods. In contrast, water seems to be the exception. When water is consumed, because there are virtually no ingredients and very little processing, it immediately enters the bloodstream and is circulated then eliminated.

For argument's sake, let's take a moment to examine just where water isn't needed. It would appear that there aren't too many places. The skeleton (all bone), takes up the remaining body mass. However, in the final analysis, even this might not be accurate. Even though the skeleton might not directly need water, it does rely on muscles and ligaments – which do. On this subject (bones), let's not forget osteoporosis and all those calcium supplements it is suggested we add to our diet. Water is required to dissolve calcium and then transport it to ours bones. Calcium is a mineral that is particularly hard to digest, and if we don’t drink enough water, well you get the picture.

The list of water must haves is of course much longer. Let's start with the vital organs. This includes the heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, liver, stomach, male and female reproductive organs, eyeballs, tongue, and let's not forget the appendix. The ligaments follow – all of them, and then muscle tissue, the nails, ears, skin (all), and of course the lips. In all probability some important body part got left off the list, but you get the general idea.

When the body is over exerted (excessive manual labor or exercise), more water is needed to avoid dehydration. During these conditions it would be plausible to suggest that even more then the recommended eight glasses is needed for replenishing and rebuilding.

Let's not forget those “other” beverages – the ones that need digesting. Although most of these have water as the main ingredient, as mentioned digestion impacts water absorption and can even create retention, which means that drinking other beverages could mean we are consuming LESS WATER. When the beverage contains alcohol, the amount of water absorbed is even less significant.

Taking all this into consideration, the next time a nice waiter or waitress stops by your table to deliver or refill that all-important AND FREE glass of water, give that person a warm smile and remind yourself that today the number of glasses of water left to drink has been reduced by one glass - or perhaps even two!

Water: How much should you drink every day?